Emily Senko for L'Officiel Turkey

Emre Guven lensed this fabulous tribute to playing dress up

for L'Officiel Turkey's May 2013 issue.

 

Emily Senko by Emre Guven for L'Officiel Turkey

Model Emily Senko dresses up in eastern inspired ensembles

brought to life impeccably by makeup artist Ali Riza Ozdemir.

Fanciful Playdate

Hot n Cold ~ Harpers Bazaar China

From Harpers Bazaar China back in April,

I'm crazy about this shoot!

Harpers Bazaar China

In ginger wigs and flawless makeup,

models Seon and Rachel Rutt

light it up in front of an ice-cream truck,

pastel hues and sunshine setting off this fantastic story

lensed by Shxpir.

Love. It.

How To Make Your Hair Shine

Summer can be super harsh on your hair.
Everything from sun damage to chlorine to surf and sand
contribute to stripping the sheen from your hair and leaving it looking lifeless and lack luster.

Here are some great tips to help you get  (and maintain!) shiny, glossy hair.

1.) Brazilian Blowouts
I love the Brazilian Blowout! As a more permanent treatment it helps the hair to stay smooth and glossy, regardless of where you are. Your styling time is cut in half, so you have less heat damage from blow dryers and irons, and even the most vicious humidity won't leave you frizzy.

2.) Use a shine enhancing shampoo.
Shampoo that contains jojoba, olive oil or rice proteins will work in your favor.
Avoid shampoos that strip the hair, and avoid "clarifying" shampoo.

3.) Use conditioning treatments that penetrate the hair shaft.
Plenty of deep treatments and conditioners really  don't penetrate that deeply. If at all. Often they just lay product on top of the hairshaft, and then it just rinses away.
Leave conditioner on for at least 3 minutes.

Oribe Hair Products

4.) After towel drying the hair use a glossing cream (fine hair) or a serum (course hair) that contain Vitamin B5. 
Or any of the Oribe shine products.
Comb through the hair evenly. (My hairdresser has me start underneath and then work my way through so that I don't saturate the top layer).
Saltwater sprays tend to leave a more matte finish to the hair, so if its shiny hair you're after, they may not be your best choice.
After blowdrying spritz a shine spray if needed.

Oribe Apres Beach

On shoots I frequently work with hairstylist Drew Noreen, who exclusively works with Oribe products. He has me completely addicted to them - nothing, nothing makes my hair look glossier
than Oribe, and the smell is to die for. ( a thousand glorious, heavenly deaths...) 




5.) Blow dry your hair correctly - use a round brush and angle the dryer downwards. This helps keep the cuticle flat - angling the dryer up or to the side can lift the cuticle. Sliding the brush gently down the hair shaft while blow drying helps the cuticle to lie flat.

6.) If you color your hair have your colorist do a shine treatment to help your color stay fresh and glossy.

How To Make An International Flight Easy

I would love to know exactly how many miles I have racked up flying round and round the world in my lifetime.
Sometimes I can't even believe how many miles I fly in one calendar year.

Regardless of whether you are making your first long haul flight, or if you are a veteran, there is most definitely a way to make it an easy, (relatively) comfortable experience. I can't be bothered with jet lag, and at least on my outbound trip I want to arrive refreshed and ready to go.
So here's what I do

1. Make a sleep kit
Whether you buy one ready made, or make your own, set yourself up to win with everything you need to sleep.
An eye mask to block out the light
A neck pillow (although these days airline seats have head rests that totally support your head, so I almost never bother dragging one around with me)

Earphones. Get noise cancelling if you can afford them, like the Bose QC15 . Look for something that is comfortable and that covers your ears (as opposed to earbuds). Anything that blocks out the hum of the engines and as much of the other ambient noise as possible. If you don't have noise cancelling headphones, plug in to one of the yoga/zen/rainforest channels that all the airlines seem to have - it will help block unwanted noise and put you to sleep.
A blanket. I've traveled with the same giant pashmina for more than 12 years now. Its soft, very very lightweight, but warm. It also takes up no space at all.
Airline blankets can be scratchy, and don't always keep you warm enough. Some airlines even charge extra for a blanket. I prefer to bring my own.

2. Check Bags

It takes forever for a plane to board, largely because so many people drag on too much cabin baggage. Pack a bag with enough to last you a couple of days in case your bags don't arrive with you. Be mindful of security rules on sizes of liquids etc. Packing only what you need to get you through the first couple of days in your cabin bag and checking the rest can streamline your experience getting through security and onboard the plane.
Rules change from airport to airport, so rather than deal with any hassles at the xray, I prefer to check as much as possible.

3. Drink Tons Of Water

Probably the most important item of all is to drink as much water as possible. The biggest part of jet-lag is getting dehydrated. You lose an additional 8 oz of water for every hour that you are up there, so its crucial that you drink as close to a glass of water for every hour of the flight.
  
4. Pack Healthy Snacks
Or at least check the airline's menu ahead of time. Sometimes there are healthy options - but mostly not.
Pre-sliced fresh fruit, unsalted nuts etc will serve you better than the high carb, high sugar, highly processed snacks and foods on most long haul flights. Be mindful of how much you eat too. Its super easy to overeat when you're sitting there for 10 or 12 hours.

5. Dress For Success
Wear comfortable clothes that you can layer up and layer down. Be able to work with however hot or cold the cabin is both during flight and also when sitting on the tarmac. Comfortable shoes (and socks!) are a must too. I'm a big believer in flying in comfortable clothes, but also in always looking stylish and well put together. 
Airlines frequently oversell seats and have to upgrade passengers. I always want that upgrade. No matter how much of a model citizen you are, if you're not dressed nicely you won't get that upgrade.

6. Sit Down, Shut Up, Powerdown. 
The flight can't take off until everyone is seated, belted in, and all electronics are powered down.
More so on domestic flights rather than internationals it seems to take forever for people to just sit down and do as they're told. And there is invariably some tool who feels the need to talk on his cellphone at full volume throughout the process. 
Make it easier on yourself and everyone else by streamlining the process. Once you're in your seat don't get back up to get anything out of the overhead bin until the flight has taken off and the seatbelt lights are turned off.

How To Apply Fragrance

Have you ever sat next to someone who absolutely reeks of fragrance overkill? Or equally hideous, someone who desperately needs fragrance?

After a nauseating experience the other day, I decided to do a mini "how to" on applying fragrance. 
(Some of the following is exerpted from an interview with Yves Saint Laurent perfumer Sophia Grojsman)

Marilyn Monroe applies Chanel No 5

Apply fragrance to your pulse points (wrists, inner elbows, backs of knees, behind ears, base of the throat) this way your pulse will gently emanate the fragrance as you move through your day.

In the morning:
Fragrance rises up as it evaporates, so applying a little behind your knees and on your wrists will help you to smell it all day.

In the evening:
Evening fragrances are typically more sensual, and need to envelope you straight away. Apply them behind the ears, at the base of the throat and to the wrists.

It needs to develop...
Hold the spray 5 to 7 inches (12-18cms) from your skin and spritz lightly. The idea is to mist it on, not saturate the skin. If the skin feels wet, the bottle is too close.
Within a few minutes the alcohol solution develops and releases the top notes of the fragrance. If at that point you can't smell it, add more.
Its a good idea to have someone else check how powerful your fragrance is. Sometimes it is difficult to smell fragrance on ourselves, and easy to overload with too much.

How To Do Your Makeup For The Beach

Ideally you really don't want to be wearing makeup to the beach.
But there are plenty of occasions across the summer where you have events to go to - picnics, boating, pool parties, beach parties etc, where the look needs to be au naturel, but you honestly, truly wouldn't be caught dead with an honestly bare face.

A face full of makeup in these situations just looks plain ridiculous, but there are some secrets and tricks to looking fabulously fresh faced and natural, when really there's absolutely nothing natural about it.

The perfect summer face is all about creating a killer complexion. Skin must look fresh and dewy, glowing and radiant, and ultimately it musn't look made up.

Start with moisturizer and a super sonic SPF of 50+
Allow each to really soak in before applying anything else. Otherwise you will have a makeup-soup on the surface of your skin.

If you can swing it, and especially if you live somewhere humid try to skip any form of foundation and instead opt for a facial self tanner. If that's not going to work for you the next best thing is a BB Cream.
Find one that works both with your skin type, and the climate you'll be in. In a dry climate you don't want a super matte finish, in a humid climate a dewy finish will look slimey.
BB's even out your skin tone and leave your face looking flawless yet makeup free. The trick is to keep your application so sheer that its barely there.

Tell your story via your brows, cheeks and lips.

Define your brows with a waterproof brow product such as Makeup Forever Aqua Brow
Enhance your brow, but don't make it look sculpted - remember the idea is to look fresh faced.
If you're using Aqua brow practice first - its super concentrated.

On your cheeks create a soft glow with a warm, radiant cream color, such as Nars The Multiple in Orgasm or Portofino, followed by a gentle sweep of bronzer. Avoid bronzers that shimmer as they will look mad in the sunlight.









Instead of big eye makeup, which really does look crazy at the beach or by the pool, choose a high volume, waterproof mascara, such as DiorShow Waterproof. 
If you're protecting your face with a big hat, and protecting your eyes with sunglasses, no one will see anyway.

Bring it all to life through your lips. I love bold, bright colors like fucshias, tangerines, or cherries. Don't go for perfection, just a burst of color.

My rule for any kind of beach makeup is no touch ups. I personally go for a facial self tanner so that I can keep applying facial SPF throughout the day.

Remember any powdery products will turn into a paste on your face as the day heats up.

Doutzen Kroes H&M High Summer Collection Video

Check out this behind the scenes video of beautiful Doutzen Kroes
in Tulum Mexico shooting the H and M High Summer Collection